


I've Seen the Sky Fall a Million Times

by angelbunn



Series: Conquering Fears, Kissing Under the Covers, and Other Assorted Recipes for our Chemistry Project [1]
Category: Disney - All Media Types, Disney Princesses, Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010), Varian and the Seven Kingdoms
Genre: Abusive Parents, Anxiety, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Panic Attacks, Post-Tangled (2010), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sad Varian (Disney), Varian Has Issues (Disney)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27809593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelbunn/pseuds/angelbunn
Summary: Our gang continues their journey and they come across the final stretch to the Earth Kingdom. However, a certain path has put Varian on edge for reasons he cannot bring himself to explain. Hugo is determined to ease his pain by any means necessary.
Relationships: Hugo & Varian (Disney: Varian and the Seven Kingdoms), Hugo/Varian (Disney: Varian and the Seven Kingdoms)
Series: Conquering Fears, Kissing Under the Covers, and Other Assorted Recipes for our Chemistry Project [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034892
Comments: 6
Kudos: 71





	I've Seen the Sky Fall a Million Times

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Mentions of PTSD, Varian falling, anxiety, abusive parents/authority figures and panic attacks. Also Hugo being best boy. I'm trying to get back into writing while my English teachers are beating away all the fun in writing. 
> 
> I hope to write more! Based on the fandom perception that Varian has a huge fear of heights.

"Let's go around! There is sure to be another way." Not a moment passed when the noirette turned heel away from the gorge, casually walking off to find a new route. The funny thing is: this was the one and only route to the Earth Kingdom, Nuru was positive about that. No one disputed it, if not for their trust in her, for fear of her death glare. Hugo watched the alchemist turn away, suspicion instantly creeping into his brain. While Nuru and Yong looked at him puzzled, the blond felt something may be lying underneath the surface of Varian's confidence. 

"Varian, this is the only path on my map. We must go across the bridge." The navigator chimed back, unrolling her map for visual proof. 

Varian scoffed, hints of nervousness plaguing his words, "Nonesense! If being around Rapunzel has taught me anything, besides great and utter betrayal, is that there is always a new angle to explore! I'm going to check around." The group visibility winced at his comment, not used to the alchemist being so head strong. Normally, Varian considered everyone's views and gave trust to Nuru when it came to guidance. 

"But-." The navigator was silenced by a hand on her shoulder, Hugo looking at her with an expression of curiosity and suspicion. 

"How about we set up camp for the night, it's getting dark out and I think it's about time Yong had dinner." Looking at the young boy with an affectionate smile, the blond doubled his look to Nuru as a "Let me handle this." expression. With a nod, the navigator and the firecracker moved to unload equipment from their cart, setting up the camp as they had done for dozens of nights prior. 

Hugo strolled over to Varian, watching the noirette feign interest in searching for a new path. While the desire seemed legitimate, motive seemed a bit different than what Varian was leading on. Hugo watched as he paced around, observing possible new paths around the mountain. Warmth bubbled in his chest; as concerned as Hugo was, he couldn't deny the sheer adorableness of the alchemist's walk. The way he muttered to himself, pacing in circles, biting the edge of his pencil as he jotted down notes in his journal. It was adorable. Irresistible. He wanted to- 

"I think I found a possible route! We can go back down the mountain and take a path around, it's along some brambles and thicket, but we have handled worse!" Varian's words burst through his lovestruck gaze, quickly breaking Hugo's train of thought. Anxiety pricked freckled features, distress that the blond could not allow to continue to harm his...whatever Varian was to him. Hugo snapped to attention, swiftly shutting the boy down. 

"Stripes we all know that path is highly illogical. It's two days trip back, full of highway robbers, and is not the straight shot like this one is. I thought we were leaving the navigating to Nuru." The alchemist's expression of hope dwindled, biting his lip as twinges of anxiety set in. "What's really going on here?" Hugo guided Varian's hands to close the book, handing it back to the shorter male. Varian watched, worry worming its way further into his expression. Nervous laughter filled the silence, the alchemist fumbling with his words. Hugo sighed, leaning against a nearby tree as he observed Varian process. 

"W-well! You see! The thing is here Hugo-I mean if I could say...That is if it's not an issue or an inconvenience or a burden-" The noirette seemed to have an innate fear of asking for help or standing up for himself, brought on by an adolescence spent being passed around abusive adults. It was one of the reasons he had left Corona in the first place; to escape the memories of dungeons and disappointment. "Varian?" Hugo tilted his head off to the side, observing the alchemist beginning to spiral. Gently, he shook the smaller male's shoulder, Varian seeming to space out. Flashes of his past made his heart pulsate. Memories of Corona and the damage the kingdom's walls had inflicted. Not only the snow storm, the abandonment, his father, rumors, the year in prison... 

_The ground gives away at your feet. You stumble and slip, attempting to grasp onto something, anything that could provide you with stability. Rushing winds pound in your eardrums, they suffocate and choke; air surrounding every part of you but your lungs. The view from halfway down is but a blur underneath your feet. The grip tightening your throat threatens to release you, forcing you to submit to the fate they have chosen. It pushes you off the ledge, it releases you from the ship, it sends you spiraling down into emptiness. Death lingers over their lips; the last words you will ever hear._

_"Traitors to Saporia pay with their lives!"_

_"We'll get him all the 'help' he needs."_

_"Varian, watch out!"_

_"Varian!"_

"Varian!" 

Snap. Rapid, unfocused breaths forced through Varian's lips, sending him crashing to the ground. Hugo swiftly supported him, holding the boy close to his chest to avoid his face impacting with the ground. Seeming smaller than ever, his body wracked with gasps for air. Clinging to Hugo was instinctual, the blond enjoying the closeness if not for the obvious panic attack possessing Varian. The alchemist tugged roughly at his hair, tears slipping down his cheeks. Sorrow seared Hugo's chest, gently taking Varian's hands away from his scalp and intertwining with his own instead. The thought of causing this kind of agony to the noirette...not now. "Goggles c'mon! Breathe!" Struggling to find a solution, Hugo gently rubbed the alchemist's back, rocking him back and forth slowly as if he were a small child. Moments turned to minutes, the smaller's breath beginning to ease as his visions passed. Serenity set in. 

A faint voice broke the silence, horce from the stress it had been under. "H-h...Hugo?" Varian didn't pull away, instead opting to hide his face in the blond's chest. 

"Yeah stripes?" His voice was barely above a whisper, relief setting in. "There something you wanna talk about?" 

Blunt. "I cannot cross that bridge tomorrow." Hugo had managed to pry a bit of Varian's past out of the complex menagerie of pieces that was the alchemist's history. It was a complex puzzle he hoped to complete in due time. For his mission of course! No other possible reason to learn about the younger male.  
"I-it's-"

"You don't need to worry about telling me. If it's too personal..." Hugo pushed the alchemist's hair back, gently resting his chin upon the boy's head. If not for their position, he'd notice a bright blush spread across a freckled face. 

"I...may be a bit afraid of heights." Varian fumbled with his hands, anxiety pricking his voice. The blond chuckled softly, helping the alchemist to his feet. "It's a bit of a t-touchy subject...especially on something so u-unstable." His voice faintly cracked, sending a shameful blush across his features. 

"It's pretty obvious hairstripe." Playful shoves aside, the noirette seemed to be returning to a better state of mind, a smile forming on his face that drove Hugo wild. "Avoiding that bridge isn't a very favorable option however. I have a plan however." The noirette looked up at Hugo, curiosity sparkling in his ocean eyes. 

A hand extended out, soon holding another, smaller hand. "Do you trust me?" 

\---- 

No one commented, focusing only on the process of crossing the warped, rattling wood bridge in front of them. Each step was calculated to balance out the groups weight, carefully trecking along across the wood planks. Nuru lead the group, Yong on her tail as the other two were a few feet behind. Hugo held Varian to his side, the alchemist buried into the blond's jacket as his life, quite literally, depended on it. His nails dug into the stiff, olive fabric, eyes shut tight as to not allow even a mere glance at the outside world. The thief was all too happy with this arrangement, comforting the smaller male at his side, while also getting in some much desired physical contact. A faint whimper echoed across the canyon: if the group had heard, no one spoke up. Varian clung to the thief for dear life, not leaving his place at his side until the group was long across the bridge. Upon reaching stable, low ground, the noirette threw his arms around Hugo. The blond's heart began to instantly race, his face growing warm at the unexpected affection. As much as he played himself off as suave and one step ahead, Varian's sudden thanks was enough to cause his mind to scream, "HE'STOUCHINGMEHE'STOUCHINGMEHE'STOUCHINGME-" Nuru shot the two a questioning glance, but shrugged it off as the group neared the kingdom's outer limits. She pondered if a similar pact of trust would occur once Varian learned of Hugo's extreme fear of thunderstorms. Observing the sky patterns, that would be sooner than they both could imagine.


End file.
